The invention relates to an inflatable head protection system for the lateral area of a passenger car having front seats and rear seats, having an air bag which is linked to the vehicle body and, in the non-inflated condition, is arranged in a folded manner along a vehicle body frame part. Concerning the known prior art, reference is made only in the manner of examples to International Patent Document WO 94/19215 and to German Patent Document DE 42 31 522 A1.
The prior art includes head protection systems which are connected either with a thorax air bag module or a thorax air bag and which inflate from the vehicle door or the vehicle seat. In those systems, the air bag size is designed such that the thorax area as well as the head can be protected. The prior art also includes separate head protection systems which are arranged, for example, in the roof area of the vehicle. In the case of separate head protection systems a differentiation can be made between cushion-type air bags, which are fastened as a compact unit close to the occupants at the roof, and hose-shaped air bags which are fastened to the A-column and to the C-column of the vehicle body and, by means of a contraction, are brought into the protective position during the inflating operation (compare International Patent Document WO 94/19215).
Neither head protection systems which are connected with the thorax air bag module, nor separate cushion-type systems which are arranged in the vehicle roof are capable of absorbing side forces which act upon them when the head laterally impacts on them. A strong swinging of the head during a side collision, particularly with low collision opponents which offer no supporting surface to the inflated air bag, can therefore not be prevented by these known systems. Although, the system which is illustrated in International Patent Document WO 94/19215 is capable of absorbing side forces, because of its special method of operation, it requires complicated manufacturing processes, can be produced only as a hose-shaped structure with a round cross-section and can be arranged in the vehicle only in a defined position. In addition, this system is designed only for the front passengers of the passenger car sitting in the front seats.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an air bag configuration which utilizes the advantages of the known systems and simultaneously opens up greater design possibilities with respect to the layout of the protection area and the housing of the air bag.
This and other objects have been achieved according to the present invention by providing an inflatable head protection system for a side area of a passenger vehicle having a front seat and a rear seat, comprising: an air bag coupled to a vehicle body, said air bag being arranged in a folded manner along a vehicle body frame part in a non-inflated condition, said air bag extending at least from an area adjacent said front seat to an area adjacent said rear seat, said air bag being fastened to said frame part, to at least a first fastening point on a vehicle body A-column and to at least a second fastening point on a vehicle body C-column, said air bag being folded essentially along a connection line defined by said first and second fastening points, said air bag defining at least two recesses in a surface thereof, said recesses being intersected by said connection line.
This and other objects have also been achieved according to the present invention by providing an air bag for an inflatable head protection system for a side area of a passenger vehicle having a front seat and a rear seat, said air bag comprising: a first portion to be coupled to an A-column of the vehicle; a second portion to be coupled to a roof member of the vehicle proximate said front seat; and a third portion to be coupled to a C-column of the vehicle, a first opening being defined between said first and second portions, and a second opening being defined between said second and third portions.
The cushion-type air bag, which extends from the front seats to the rear seats of the passenger car, is fastened to the frame part and at least one fastening point respectively of the A-column and of the C-column of the vehicle body, that furthermore the air bag is folded essentially along a connection line of these two fastening points, and in that at least two recesses cut by the connection line are provided in the cushion surface of the air bag.
According to the invention, the air bag extends along a relatively large lateral area of the interior of the passenger car; that is, in the inflated condition, the air bag protects the vehicle occupants in the front seats as well as those in the rear seats. In order to, in the process, ensure an optimal protection of the head not only in the event of a side collision of the passenger car but also in the event of its rollover, this air bag is constructed in the manner of a cushion, and not only in the shape of a hose, in which case at least partial areas of the thorax can also be supported and therefore be protected. The head protection system according to the invention simultaneously has a relatively high lateral stiffness, since the air bag is fastened not only to the frame part of the vehicle body, normally, this is the roof member or the roof area of the side frame, but has additional fastening points on the A-column as well as on the C-column of the vehicle body. In the event of a lateral impact of the head, the air bag can therefore not escape to the side so that the vehicle occupant's head will be securely supported. In this case, the fastening points on the A-column and the C-column may be as far removed from the frame part as possible; that is, when the air bag is fastened to the roof member as the frame part, these fastening points on the A-column as well as on the C-column should be situated as far down as possible.
However, since now the individual fastening points of the cushion-type air bag are spaced relatively far away from one another, in order to be able to brace this air bag for the optimal absorption of side force virtually along the whole upper side area of the vehicle interior, problems may occur with the housing of the air bag in the non-inflated condition along the vehicle body frame part, specifically along the roof member or the door railing. In order to ensure that, despite these widely spaced fastening points, the air bag can still be folded, the folding takes place essentially along a connection line of the two fastening points on the A-column and the C-column, and that at least two recesses, or openings, which are cut by the connection line, are provided in the cushion surface of the air bag. After a first folding about the mentioned connection line, because of the recesses, virtually three air bag segments will be obtained which are each separately folded further and can then also in a simple manner be housed on the vehicle body frame part.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.